Thursday, April 16, 2015

San Francisco

This past weekend was my third trip to San Francisco and I guess... third time's the charm. I had been previously in 2010 for a day and did all of the touristy things before going to camp with FeelGood and I stopped for an evening this past fall after my weekend in Napa. In my mind, I had done San Francisco and liked it but it wasn't a city I was overly in love with or anything. This trip changed it all.

One of my best friends, Geales, moved to SF this past fall and it had been killing me to have gone so long without seeing her (plus the three hour time difference and my early bed time does't allow for many opportunities to connect!) In preparation for the trip, I had kind of forgotten about the city I was visiting as I was looking forward to spending so much time with my friend! Oh what a friendassance we had. It's so rare these days that I get to spend so much time with one of my closest friends so I really enjoyed just being present but we did so many fun things, ate incredibly well, all in addition to watching countless episodes of Friends.

Friday morning I had the most delightful pleasure of having breakfast with the FeelGood World Staff. I joined FeelGood my freshman year of college (fall 2007) so it's really crazy how this group has grown and how each of them have played a significant part of my life. Their energy is contagious and I was so excited that even some of the out of town staff was surprisingly in town. I feel like so much of who I am as an individual was shaped by FeelGood and I love having these people in my life and enjoyed my precious time with them.

Following breakfast, Geales and I ventured to the Google SF office. It really is a wonderland. Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies. Gourmet Lunch. Fro-yo. Cafes. Candy. Amazing Views. Trendiness. I'm sure my wide eyes of awe fit right in to the Googliness.

After Google, we strolled SF for a total of over nine miles walked that day. (Shout out to Geales's Jawbone for counting our steps!) It was so beautiful and I was too busy catching up with my friend, that I barely noticed the distance.

I was pretty exhausted from all of the travel and adventures of the day so that night we had grilled cheeses for dinner and then of course, topped it off with ice cream. (Chocolate sea salt may be my new favorite flavor.)

Saturday, we woke up, brunched, and ventured the Muir Woods. We did a combination trail that included coastal views and forestry.

I fit right in to the wilderness.

This looks a lot less dangerous than it was.

After the hike, we stopped in Mill Valley to refuel with some delicious gelato.

I then had the brilliant idea of wanting to touch the Pacific Ocean. Don't. It was so windy, the sand felt like needles along the walk to the ocean and then the water was freezing. I had every intention of dipping my toes into the Pacific and decided my pinky was enough for a quick picture before quickly returning to the car.

Sunday, we grabbed some delicious donutsand then I tried the SF must of Philz Coffee by ordering a hot chocolate.

Spotted my first peonies of the season that were $6.95 per stem. Sadly, I just admired.

Ventured over to visit the Painted Ladies.

I had to.

Seriously, can I please move in? I am sure this place is really affordable.

The finale. Sift Dessert Bar. We were casually strolling along the street when we saw this pink painted shop with the words "frosting obsessed" as part of the logo. We decided this was a must try and ventured in. Now, I know cupcake shops are about as common as fro-yo places and while I do enjoy a good cupcake, it is rare that I am in awe of deliciousness. This place, changed it all. Now, I am still loyal to my one true b'day cake truffle love at Momofuku, but these cupcakes were a taste of heaven. First, my eyes spotted the rainbow sugar cookie sammie, then it darted to the flavor of the month, Spinkle Me Pink, then, it went to the Raspberry Champagne flavor, Berry Cheesecake, Stud Muffin, and well my senses were in overload. A little pink, sweetness, and sparkle and I easily fall in love. We couldn't decide, so we got a variety of treats to try and share together. It's been a few days and it's still all I can think about. I even looked up how to order the treats online for this weekend, but sadly, I did not place my order in time. Next week.

Seriously, perfection.

Oh SF, you were absolutely wonderful. I learned a few other things during my trip such as how to properly sort trash, compost, and all of my recyclables and that I consume an excessive amount of water for a city in a drought and that purchasing a giant bottle of Smart water to carry around with me may not be the best way to blend in with the environmentally friendly SF crowd.

So thankful for such a wonderful extended weekend with the most lovely hostess. Now, how long until I earn enough sky miles to go back?